Fabric for airships and process of making same



APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. 1920.

Patented J 11116 14, 1921.

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fi'l/FE PROD/TED czar/ DOPE an rurm TED l/VNE/P DOPE FILM H H. gal-zine Quorum;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. GARDNER, OF WASHING-TON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FABRIG FOR AIRSHIPS AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 14, 1921 Application filed January 6, 1920. Serial No. 349,837.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY A. GARDNER, a citizen of th United States, residing at \Vashington, District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fabrics for Airshi s and Processes of Maknot. deteriorate on exposure'to the action of light and heat,

Another object of the invention is to produce a strong, durable fabric which is waterproof and fire-proof and possesses a high tensile strength.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a novel process of manufacture of the fabric.

. For the protection of the gas cells and the aluminum strength members that are used in rigid airships, an outer cover consisting (f cloth to which dope has been applied to render it water resisting, has heretofore been used. This cloth, however, is more or less inflammable and, because of the contribut ing effect of the dope, becomes rotted on exlight for any extended period of time; 'In my process I have produced a rigid. cover having distinct" advantage over that previouslyproduced for this purpose. For

the manufacture of this fabric, I usually select as the base a high strength, high count cotton of the following construction:

The drawing'is a sectionaL view of a por-] tion of fabric made in accordance with my invention illustrating diagrammaticallythe arrangement of the substance or material-zap plied thereto.

Th cloth 10 is first rendered fire resisting by treatment with a 10% aqueous solution of ammonium phosphate brought to a temperature of approximately 150 F. The cloth automatically passes through this solution and then through a series of rolls to remove the excess and then out onto a tenter frame over a series of steam coils to be dried. During drying, the cloth may be made as taut as desired, in order to prevent wrinkling and other defects. The use of the above mentioned fire resisting salt I do not claim as novel. I may, however, add to the ammonium phosphate solution from 2% to 10% by Weight of a pigment such as red iron oxid or carbon black; the purpose being to stop [the light rays which affect the strength of the fabric, The cloth is usually dry at the end of ten minutes, at which time it is rolled on a mandrel and put through the second treatment which consists of the application of a very thin coat of cellulose dope containing, if desired, a small percentage of treated tung oil which forms a film 11 on both sides of the cloth 10. I may, if desired, add to the dope from 2% to 10% of pigment such as iron oxid or carbon black, the purpose being to stop the light rays which affect the strength of the fabric. The cloth then passes onto the tenter frame and is then dried under tension. I studiously avoid the use of linseed oil or other vegetable oils which dry by oxidation, since their use may develop acid products that seriously injure cotton when exposed to the atmosphere or even when stored. On the other hand,tung oil dries largely through polymerization and produces a film that does not react with the fabric. Bythe above process there is produced a fire resisting fabric having high tensile strength and a water shedding surface. The fabric being impregnated with waterproofing is resistant to moisture on both sides and is not. subject to loss of tension by absorption ofmoisture, as is the type of fabric now in use.

en this fabric is placed over a rigid ship and laced in place, one or'more additional coats of dope containin aluminum powder are applied forming a fi 12 on the outside thereof. Great tautness is obtained and a surface of high solar radiation is-pro duced. With such a fabric the gas in the cells of the ship will remain at a temperature from 20 to 30 lower than when covered with the ordinary dark or untreated colored fabric. Due to the high light reflecting surface of the fabric, the cloth remains strong for a long period of time.

It will be understood that the process of manufacture may be varied in unessential particulars, and that equivalent ingredients may be used in the place of the ones mentioned without departure from the principles of the invention. 1 do not restrict my self to precise proportions of materials or to other unessential limitations but contemplate such variations as are within the principles of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fabric of the class described comprising a cloth base treated with a suitable fire proofing compound and a. film, containing an oil of the class which dries by polymerization.

2. A fabric as set forth in claim 1, and a second film containing an oil of the class which dries by polymerization.

3. A fabric as set forth in claim 1, said film comprising cellulose dope containing an oil of the class which dries by polymerization.

' 4. A fabric as set forth in claim 2, said second film comprising a cellulose dope containing an oil of the class .which dries by polymerization.

5. A fabric as set forth in claim 3 and a second film on said first named film com rising a cellulose'dope containing an oil 0 the class which dries by polymerization.

6. A fabric of the class described comprising a cloth base treated with a suitable fireproofing compound and a film of cellulose dope containing tung oil.

7. A. fabric as set forth in claim 6 and a second film of cellulose dope containing tung oil. a

' 8. A fabric as set forthin claim 7, said second film containing finely divided aluminum powder.

9 fabric as set forth in claim 8, said second named film containing 10% finely dividedaluminum powder.

10. A fabric of the class described comrising. a cloth base'treated with a suitable repmofing compound, a film containing an oil-of the classwhich dries by polymerization and a second film onsaid first named 'film containing finely divided aluminum powder and an oil of the class which driesby polymerization.

11. The rocess of making fabric of the class descri ed which consists in treating a cloth base with a fireproofing solution, delivering said base through a series of rolls to remove excess solution, and coating said clothbase with a dope containing an oil of the class which dries by polymerization.

12. The process as set forth in claim 11 including the application of a second coating of dope containing an oil of the class which dries by polymerization.

13. The process as set forth in claim 11 including subjection of the cloth'base to heat and tension prior to applying the coating of do e.

id. The process as set forth in claim 19 wherein the fabric is laced in place over a rigid airship prior to the application of said second named coating of dope.

15. The process as set forth in claim 12, said second named coating of dope contain ing finely divided aluminum powder.

16. The process as set forth in claim 15, said second named coating of dope containing 10% finely divided aluminum powder.

17; The process as set forth in claim 15, including subjection of the fabric to heat and tension prior to the application of said second named coating of dope.

18. The process of making a fabric of the class described which consistsin treating a cloth base with a fireproofing solution, delivering said base through a series of rolls to remove excess solution and coating. said cloth base with a dope containing cellulose and tung oil.

19. The process as set forth in claim 18, including the application of a second coating of dope containing cellulose and tung oil.

HENRY A. GA-RDlIER.

istrict of Colum- 

